Pipe-cleansing apparatus.



PATENTED JAN. 22, 1907.

APPLIGATION FILED B30120, 1905.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY ING, a citizen of the United States, residing ALBERT T. SCHLICHTING. OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

PIPE-CLEANSING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22, 1907.

Application filed December 20, 1905. Serial No. 292.645.

T0 ttZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT T. Sonrrorrrat Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe-Cleansing Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to enable the pipes connecting a package of beer or the like with the dispensing-faucet of a bar at a distance from said package to be quickly cleansed from time to time, and more particularly at the close of business at night or whenit is found desirable to tap a new package and to do so easily and without the necessity of going from the bar down into the cellar where the package is usually stationed; to provide a dispensing apparatus of small cost of construction, and to secure other advantages and results, some of which may be hereinafter referred to in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved dispensing apparatus and cleansing device and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of my improved apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of a pump for controlling the flow of the cleansing fluid.

In said drawings, 5 indicates a bar, having the usual dispensing-faucets 6 6, a cooler or refrigerator 7, and pipes 8 8, leading from the packages 9 9 in the cellar upward through the floor 10 in any ordinary manner. I-Ieretofore it has been a common practice in cleansing the dispensing-pipes for the barkeeper to operate from the cellar, this method making it necessary for him to leave his station behind the bar and go into the cellar repeatedly and at very late hours. This has been found not only troublesome and inconvenient, but has been productive of much loss of time.

In the present construction the manipulation of the valves and other mechanism is performed from the bar, so that the attendant by simply turning a valve-handle thereat is enabled to turn on the cleansing fluid. With these ends in view I employ in connection with the dispensing-pipes 8 8 a water-pipe 11 for conveying thev cleansingwater to the said pipes 8. The pipe 11 is preferably an extension of the water-pipes of a city Water-supply and contains water under a pressure such as is commonly found in such water-pipes. The said water-pipe 11 has thereon two-Way valves 12, one for each package, connection, and these valves 12 12 are each in connection with a dispensing pipe 8. The said two-way valve is thus adapted to open and close communication through thewater-pipe 11 and through the pipe 8 from the dispensing-faucet to the package, and when communication is closed to the faucet 6 from the package the waterway is opened into the dispensing-pipe 8,so that the cleansing-water under pressure is forced through the pipe 8 out through the faucet 6, carrying the dirt or accumulated matter in the pipe with it.

The valves 12 are operated by cranklevers 18 in connection with piston-rods 14 of pneumatic cylinders 15, the pistons 151, Fig. 2, in said cylinders being operated pneumatically by compressed air. Thecylinders are pivoted to brackets or similar structures on the ends opposed to the projecting pistonrod. The air for operating said piston is conducted to the cylinders 15 from a main air-pipe 18 in connection with the air-tank (not shown) usually found in saloons through branch air-pipes 17, having valves 19 at the bar and connecting with the cylinders at their lower ends. The valve 19 being opened, the compressed air enters the lower end of the cylinder in connection therewith and forces the piston 151 and its rod 14 lengthwise of the cylinder and turns the cranklever 13, connected with the twoway cock, so that communication is opened from the water-pipe 11 into the dispensing-pipe, the pressure of the air holding the valve in this position, thus permitting a free flow of water from the water-pipe 11 through that portion of the dispensing-pipe between the valve 12 and faucet 6 to the said faucet 6, and thereby cleansing the pipe from sediment or other matter adhering to the walls thereof.

To clear the pipes 8 leading to the dis- IIO pensing-faucet of Water preliminary to turning the beer again into the said pipes, I have provided a valved pipe connection between the main air-pipe 18 and the water-pipe 11,

as shown at 21, the connecting-pipe 2 1 and water-pipe 11 being in conjunction at a twoway valve 22. Compressed air enters through the open valve 22 into the pipe 11 and through the two-way valve 12 into the dispensing-pipe 8, the air forcing the water therein out through the dispensing faucet or cook 6 preliminary to turning the beer on, thus preventing a loss of beer because of an admixture of water therewith.

The air-pipe 18 is in connection with the air-pipe 24, having branch connections 25 with the bungs 26 by which the compressed air is introduced to the package to force the beer or liquid through the pipe extension 27 into the pipe 8 and thence upward to the dispensing-faucet. On turning off the air at the cook 19 the piston within the cylinder 15 is permitted to gravitate, the gravitating movement beingfacilitated by a weight 152 in connection with said piston. The air in the pipe 17 escapes when the piston falls by passing out through a vent 19 (shown in dotted outline) in the valves 1.9, these vents being open when the air from the pipe 18 is shut off. The lowering of the piston and its rod turns the lever 13 in connection with the piston, closes the water-pipe from the pipe 8, and opens communication between the package and the faucet 6. A

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is- 1. The improved dispensing apparatus comprising a dispensing-faucet, a dispensingpipe extending to said faucet and having means at its lower end for attachment to the package, a water-pipe connecting with said dispensing-pipe and adapted to supply the same with cleansing-water, a valve controlling the flow of water to said dispensingpipe, a pneumatic cylinder and a piston therein connected with the said valve, and means stationed near said faucet and extend ing to said cylinder for controlling the flow of air into said cylinder, and an air-pipe connecting with said water-pipe and adapted to permit the flow of air to force the water out of said pipe after the cleansing operation.

2. An improved dispensing apparatus comprising a dispensing-pipe leading from a package, a faucet on the end of the pipe, a cleansing-pipe leading into the dispensingpipe, a two-way valve at the juncture of the dispensing pipe and the cleansing pipe, a weighted lever for operating the valve, a cylinder pivoted at one end to a support and having a piston and its projecting rod, the piston-rod being pivoted to the valvelever, an air pipe leading to the cylinder, and a manually-operated valve in the air-pipe hav ing a vent for venting the cylinder when the air-supply to the cylinder is cut off.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of December, 1905.

ALBERT T. SCHLICHTING.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, ETI-IELWYN PELL. 

